Thursday, 21 August 2014

Meet the Mangosteen....

Breakfast today? Mangosteens. What, might you ask, are those? Well it's another exotic, completely more-ish fruit that I've just discovered here in Koh Phangan, Thailand. I went to market yesterday with my friend Kem and was introduced to many weird looking edibles, one of them being a most gorgeous tasting fruit, the purple Mang-Kut or mangosteen, only available between July and October so best book your Thai trip around that *wink*. Not as spectacular looking as the dragonfruit, the mangosteen nevertheless way upstages the latter...the taste and texture (for me anyway) is a combination of a loquat and a litchi. It opens simply - no knives please, in case you cut through and destroy the perfectly placed segments inside...all you need do is gently press on the sides and the fruit sort of pops open revealing the soft white flesh - see pic. Of course, like with most Thai food, mangosteens cost pretty much nothing, unless of course you're buying them at Fauchon in Paris!

And check out the nutritional value of the mangosteen:

Delicious and juicy, mangosteen is one of the popular tropical fruits. It comprises an impressive list of essential nutrients, which are required for normal growth and development and overall nutritional well-being.

This fruit is very low in calories (63 calories per 100 g) and contains no saturated fats or cholesterol. Nonetheless, it is rich in dietary fiber (100 g provides about 13% of RDA), which can be very important for individuals who are concerned about putting on excess body weight.

Mangosteen is good in vitaminCand provides about 12% of RDA per 100 g. Vitamin-C is a powerful water soluble anti-oxidant. Consumption of fruits rich in vitamin C helps the body develop resistance against flu-like infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals.

Fresh fruit is a moderate source of B-complex vitamins such as thiamin, niacin and folates. These vitamins are acting as cofactors the help body metabolize carbohydrates, protein, and fats.

Pretty impressive! The mangosteen also holds the title as Queen of the Fruits and having devoured about 20 today so far, trust me, it's a well deserved accolade. So I bow before you, majestic little fruit, and back to market I go, for more.